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Using Google Earth to Find Ancient Cities

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the hey-umm-guys-it's-over-here dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A story in the online site of the Aussie science mag Cosmos discusses how archaeologists are using sophisticated satellite images to find previously undiscovered cities. What 's really cool is how some are simply using Google Earth — and discovering all sorts of previously unknown sites!"

2 of 127 comments (clear)

  1. No comments and the side is already quite slow, so by pklinken · · Score: 4, Informative

    Here goes:

    http://www.cosmosmagazine.com.nyud.net/node/1764

  2. Michael Crichton ripped this idea off. by DerekLyons · · Score: 4, Informative

    The first usage of aerial photography for archaeological purposes dates back into the 1920's. Using aerial photography and radar for searching out sites of archaeological interest was covered in National Geographic back in the 1950's. I remember seeing in my dad's photogrammetry magazines from the 1960's, aerial photography services specifically advertising their availability for archaeological surveys. (As well as multiple articles in the magazines on that very topic.) A book of NASA terrestrial photography I own from the 1970's dedicates an entire chapter to the usage of satellite photography for archaeological purposes.
     
    At best, Crichton independently reinvented a technique already well known in professional circles.